Evacuating
by LoaTurtle00
Summary: An AU short story setting the TMNT as orphaned children living with their adopted father, Splinter, in an unstable Russia.
1. Ch 1: Paper Run

**Evacuating**

Story started by Loaturtle00 ~1998

**About this story**: This is an AU story, where the TMNT (which I still don't own, BTW) are orphaned human kids living in an unstable Russia. It may have been based on a dream I had…but I'm not sure.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Paper Run**

Raphael was worn out. He had been following his brother, Leonardo, on his morning run around the block. The two of them usually didn't get along. It could have had something to do with the fact that the two of them weren't really brothers—they were just two orphaned boys who were adopted by a poor man in Russia, whom they called "Splinter", even though he was more like a father to them. Splinter also adopted their other two brothers, Michelangelo and Donatello.

Well, there were hard feelings between Leonardo and Raphael because Leo was almost ten while Raph and Donnie were still nine, and Mikey was eight. This made Leo feel "in charge" of them, which meant that he could sometimes be a bit bossy—like this particular time. He was ready to jog down to the newsstand down the block to get the morning paper at six that morning. Splinter suggested it as a task they could do together to give them more responsibility as the older brothers. Hopefully it would also be their time to talk, so they could get along as "teammates". He also knew there was a strength in numbers.

Leo was ready for his grown-up chore that morning. Raph wasn't. So Leo just told Raph to come anyway—dressed just as he was when he woke up. Unfortunately for Raph, he was still in his pajamas—old boxers and his undershirt. Oh well, in their neighborhood, not many people were out at six in the morning. But now, he lost Leo and he was too far from home.

He started to get scared now, because he heard an approaching car slow down behind him. Instinctively, he moved further away from the street.

"There you are, Raphael," a familiar voice said, "I was beginning to worry when Leonardo returned home without you."

"Leo made me come get the paper like this, Splinter," Raphael said to his father. "I really can't stand him."

"I know, my son." Splinter nodded, "Why don't you just get in with me? We'll talk about that later."

As he finished speaking, Raph ran around and claimed shotgun of the old jeep.

"Listen, Raphael," Splinter began, "I was going to visit a friend of mine who is very sick, and take breakfast to him. You may curl up in the blanket in the back and stay in the car, if you like; I shouldn't be long."

He soon pulled into a driveway and he and Raph got out of the car. Splinter took a basket of food out of the back while Raph crawled into the backseat and wrapped the blanket around him. Before he left, Splinter turned and kissed Raph on the forehead and said to him, "I love you very, very much, my son."

Once Splinter left, Raph fell asleep nestled in the backseat. He could have slept for over half an hour; for when he started waking up, Splinter was carrying him back into their apartment house. He could also sense that someone else was with them.


	2. Ch 2: Breakfast

**Evacuating**

Story started by Loaturtle00 ~1998

**About this story**: This is an AU story, where the TMNT (which I still don't own, BTW) are orphaned human kids living in an unstable Russia. It may have been based on a dream I had…but I'm not sure.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Breakfast**

Splinter carried Raph up to his room and told him he could get dressed along with the others. When the four brothers got dressed and came back into the kitchen, they could hear a new voice talking with Splinter. They all ambled in curiously to see who it was.

As they entered, Splinter turned to them and said, "My sons, I would like to introduce you to your new sister." He motioned to a girl who was sitting on the counter next to where he was making breakfast. He also mentioned her name, but it was a very long name the boys couldn't pronounce. She smiled shyly at the boys, who were still just shy around her.

She had dark hair and light brown eyes, just as the four boys did. Her hair was braided into a single, long ponytail and tied back with a faded blue ribbon. She was wearing a comfortable-looking dress to match the ribbon. She was about seven years old, and she was just as small and thin as the four orphan boys.

Splinter went on to explain, "Since my friend across town has been struggling with his illness, he has had trouble taking care of his daughter. I thought and prayed about it for quite some time, and I finally decided to take her in. I hope we will all be happy as we welcome this new member to our family."

The boys all looked at each other.

"Will she sleep in our room?" asked Leo.

"No," Splinter replied, "she might sleep in my room for the first few nights before we either find a better room for her or a bigger apartment for all of us. We can talk about it all over breakfast."

The six of them sat down to breakfast together. As they ate, Mikey noticed an article in the newspaper (which Leo had placed on the kitchen table) about a new satellite to orbit the planet Venus. Mikey studied his new little sister before deciding to be the brave brother to first befriend her.

"Hey, Venus!" He said to the girl. She gave him a funny look that simultaneously expressed pleasure and confusion. Mikey continued, "May I call you Venus? I like that name. It's easier for me to say and remember, and it's pretty, like you."

"Venus" seemed pleased that a little boy seemed interested in being her friend—especially one who would become a brother to her. She continued to talk to him sweetly and shyly, "Thank you. You seem like a nice person to make friends with, but I didn't think you'd like me because I'm a girl."

"Are you kidding?" Donnie chimed in, "That's the reason he likes you—Mikey is crazy about girls. All the other boys in our class at school are mean to him. The three of us are the only boys he has for friends. It's the same way with the rest of us—the big boys bully us at school. So, we'll be your friends!"

"Okay," Venus said as she laughed along with the rest of the breakfast table conversation while getting more acquainted with her new brothers and soon-to-be best friends.

As the children talked and laughed, Splinter looked over the newspaper on the table and started reading some of the economic and political articles. They weren't good news. Splinter spent the rest of the morning thinking about them. He glanced around the kitchen at the four little boys who he had raised since they were very young, and also at the little girl who he just adopted. He thought of how they all needed a better future. Russia was falling apart—it was no place to bring up such precious children. Even the school was a bad environment for them.

As each child was sent off to school that day, Splinter silently prayed that they would survive the bullying of the day, and that they would soon have a better life. In America they would have a better life, so Splinter spent the rest of the school day planning on escaping there with his kids.


	3. Ch 3: Long Walk

**Evacuating**

Story started by Loaturtle00 ~1998

**About this story**: This is an AU story, where the TMNT (which I still don't own, BTW) are orphaned human kids living in an unstable Russia. It may have been based on a dream I had…but I'm not sure.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Long Walk**

"Ow! My head hurts…" Raph complained against Leo's shoulder as they walked back home from school—now as five siblings instead of just the usual four.

"That bully hit you pretty hard." Leo stated as he and Donnie supported Raph between them.

Donnie gasped, "Yeah, he was a big guy, too. I'm so proud of you for trying to stand up to him for the sake of Mikey and Venus. You're so brave."

"I'm sorry I made you get in trouble by the teacher." Venus apologized as Mikey carried her piggyback. "But thank you for protecting Mikey and me from that mean bully. I'm so lucky to have new big brothers like you guys."

"I like that I get to be a big brother now, since I got a new little sister." Mikey beamed as he proudly adjusted Venus to keep her from slipping off. "I wanna be a good big brother."

"Well, I think you're a good big brother for giving me a ride, Mikey." Venus laughed.

The five children soon arrived home from school that afternoon, after a long day of trying to survive schoolyard cruelty, only to find Splinter at home packing clothes and accessories into various bags and putting the bags onto an old wheeled pushcart. The bigger furniture and their old jeep were gone, so all that remained was their sleeping bags, the few clothes they had, their personal accessories, and a small meal that Splinter seemed to have prepared for traveling.

"What's going on?" Leo asked.

"We're moving to America," Splinter explained, "Things are beginning to get bad for us in Russia, so we're leaving on a plane to go to America. We need to go as soon as we can, and we can't tell anyone else that we're leaving or where we're going."

"Can't we wait 'til morning to go?" Raph complained, "I'm tired and hungry, and my head hurts."

"No," Splinter said, firmly but gently. "Our plane leaves early tomorrow morning. Tomorrow will be too late to leave. Everyone dress warmly and carry as much as you can. I had to sell our other stuff to get money for the tickets, so we don't have a car. We're going to have to walk ten miles down to the airport. I'm sorry, kids, but we can rest and eat when we're there. Raphael, I will let you ride in the cart and hold the luggage in it, since you are hurt."

Everyone gathered—and wore—as much as they could, and they all paced themselves for walking the ten miles to the airport. It took over two hours to get there. Splinter paid for tickets, showed the passports, and checked the luggage. It was almost midnight by the time they had everything, so Splinter let the kids sleep while they waited for their plane, which would leave at six-thirty the next morning.

The following morning at six, the awaited plane finally arrived. It was ready for people to start boarding, and Splinter was herding his sleepy children onto the plane. He then noticed that Raph was missing. He ran off to find him, in almost a panic.


	4. Ch 4: Away

**Evacuating**

Story started by Loaturtle00 ~1998

**About this story**: This is an AU story, where the TMNT (which I still don't own, BTW) are orphaned human kids living in an unstable Russia. It may have been based on a dream I had…but I'm not sure.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Away**

When he checked the restroom, he discovered Raph washing his hands and checking his newly-acquired black eye in the restroom mirror.

"Raphael, our plane is here, and it's almost time to leave," Splinter said as he tried to hurry Raph.

Raph didn't seem to notice the rush in Splinter's voice, so he kept on washing his hands. But he said, "I had to go to the bathroom. I'm nervous about traveling in an airplane. I don't really want to go in one. And my head still hurts."

Splinter quickly grabbed some paper towels and turned off the water while urging, "But, Raphael, we've never been on a plane before, and we all need to stick together as family as we travel. We also need to go now!"

Raph groaned in response. Splinter just quickly dried Raph's hands off, then gently picked him up and carried him onto the plane. It was now six-fifteen, so Splinter, who was usually a very patient man, rushed Raph to board the plane with the other children.

Raph reluctlantly settled down in a seat next to Leo.

"Are you nervous?" Leo whispered over to Raph.

Raph hesitantly nodded as he buckled his seat belt.

Leo buckled his seat belt and put his arm around Raph. "I'm a little nervous, too."

Raph actually smiled at the thought of his bossy older brother as nervous as he was.

"But we'll get through this together." Leo rubbed Raph's shoulder. "You know, this is just a little later than when we get up to pick up the morning paper together."

Raph rolled his eyes. "You mean you _make_ us get up to get the paper."

Leo laughed, "Well, if it makes you feel better, I won't be doing _that_ today. I'm tired after the walking last night, and I've been too nervous to sleep much."

"We'll be alright," Splinter assured from the seat behind them. "I know that none of us have ever been on an airplane before, but things will be alright as long as we face the future together, as a family."

He soothingly stroked Venus's forehead, as she clung to his other arm and curled up in the seat next to him, sucking her thumb from her other hand.

Donnie and Mikey hugged each other in the row next to Splinter. Donnie rubbed his eyes, "Father, is it alright if we sleep, now? I'm sleepy." Mikey's eyes had already closed next to him.

Before Splinter could answer, the overhead loudspeaker began giving instructions on the flight. The plane was soon taxiing down the runway and taking flight. The small family held to each other, adjusting to the experience of flying.

Splinter smiled as he surveyed his sleeping charges, "Sleep, my children, sleep for now, and dream of the beautiful future we will have together in America."

* * *

THE END?

* * *

(Or Just the Beginning?)


End file.
